Secret Monado Files: The Existence of Digital Monsters
by Monado-Abyss
Summary: Follow the story of the Heir to the Monado in this retelling of the famous tale with a new twist! Shulk, an 18 year-old boy, is a modest individual who has been researching into Digimon, specifically Monadmon, but when a group of mechanical invaders lays waste to his home and takes the life of his most beloved friend, he leaves behind his studies and discovers untold secrets...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Long ago, the world was nothing more than an endless sea cloaked in a boundless sky, reaching as far as could possibly be imagined. Then two great titans came into existence. The Bionis and the Mechonis. The titans were locked in a timeless battle until, at last, only their lifeless corpses remained.

Eons have passed. Now the world, the vast land stretching across the remains of the Bionis, is under attack from a relentless force.

The location was Sword Valley, also known as the sword of the Mechonis, gouging into the waist of the gigantic bionic titan that opposes it from the other side. On the sword, a battle raged on between life forms from both worlds. The Homs, the people of Bionis, were a fickle race of organisms, but had a headstrong will to survive, just as the tens of hundreds of other life forms hailing from the vast lands of Bionis did. The Homs were rather frail, being made from flesh and blood, all the while depending on ether in the surrounding environment to survive. These people armed themselves with various hand-made weapons in combat. Gunlances and rifles allowed them to fight from long ranges, while drivers and guarders were designed for a more defensive approach.

From Mechonis, a swarm of Mechon, mechanical beings with seemingly no souls or logical sensibility to them, paraded down the grooves and indents in which the Homs treaded through, unleashing sharp claws and ether energy blasts. Destruction was their only goal, and these remorseless machines would do anything to attain that goal. Attack after attack, explosion after explosion, the audio sensors in the Mechon picked up on the cries of the Homs helpless to their attacks. "Retreat! Retreat!" one would scream. "Get away from me!" another one cried. One Homs soldier was unfortunate enough to be slaughtered by a Mechon while reporting information. All had seemed to be lost to the Homs as these mechanical invaders picked them apart, one by one.

From the distant darkness of the night, a man clad in silver and blue Homs-made armor ran towards a group of Mechon, fending them off with a steel katana and a red pager device. Dunban, often revered as one of the finest Homs soldiers, was a 30 year-old man standing just a few inches short of six feet. His long and dark hair was caked in grease from the countless days and nights he had been away from his home in Colony 9, a quiet Homs settlement at the right foot of the Bionis. Accompanying him was a red reptilian-like creature with glowing blue grooves flowing from all parts of it's body. This creature, along with the three sharp claws on each of it's hands, fought the Mechon with blue energy beams formed into the shape of blades that protruded from large holes around it's wrists. Continuously, the Mechon fell to pieces at the hands of these fighters. More soldiers followed not too far behind, gunlances and drivers in hand.

Dunban and his red reptilian ally take cover behind a fallen body part from a Mechon, regaining their energy until the forces following behind them caught up to them. Dunban peers over the fallen Mechon body part, grinning out of sheer anticipation which was all but hidden from his ally. "They're advancing down our weak right flank," Dunban observed aloud, "For a bunch of soulless machines, they seem to know a thing or two. But we'll see, right Monadmon?" The crimson creature nodded in determination.

Just then, the forces led by Dunban's war allies approached and tended to the injured. Dickson, a sturdy looking man bearing long blonde hair in a braid, ordered the troops to gather the injured and bring them to the medical soldiers. Next to him was Hawkmon, a deep crimson-colored bird-like creature with a black leather belt wrapped like a headband around it's light cream-colored head. As Dickson and Hawkmon found Dunban and Monadmon behind the destroyed Mechon body piece, Mumkhar joined them. Mumkhar was a true brute of a man, with greasy hair slicked back to expose his sunken-in eyes and scarred face. His armor was almost too small for his muscular six-foot stature. Joining him was a small, purple, weasel-looking creature named Impmon. As opposed to Monadmon and Hawkmon, Impmon had a very thin build, and was much tinier than the other two creatures.

"Dunban! We've been given the order to retreat," Dickson informed, "We're pulling back the line to Colony 6. That's where we'll set up the last line of defense!"

"Yeah… that's a good idea," Dunban pondered, "Any more time spent hanging around here and we're done for."

"Count me in! We've gotta get outta here!" Mumkhar blurted out.

"Or we can stay and fight?" Dunban said as he shot an eager grin straight at Mumkhar.

"What?!"

"We may die if we take a stand here… but staying gives us the chance to change our destinies. We have our Digimon partners," Dunban said as he rested his hand on Monadmon's shoulder, "and without Monadmon here, there would be many more Mechon roaming around, waiting to bring about our ruin. With them, the future is ours for the taking!"

Just as Dunban readied himself to vault over the broken Mechon part, Dickson pulled him down, exclaiming in disbelief at Dunban's headstrong approach. "Stupid beast!" yelled Dickson, "Your body can't take any more of Monadmon's power! And the rest of our Digimon partners aren't looking like they're brimming with energy. I can tell by just looking at them!"

"Getting short-sighted in your old age, Dickson?" Dunban lightly retorted, "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm still in control."

"Yeah! I still feel fit to fight!" professed Monadmon as he flexed his biceps.

"I'm feeling rather well too, Dickson." Hawkmon stated.

Dickson grunted a sigh of amusement, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get anyone to fall back. "I should've known I couldn't talk sense into beasts," he muttered joyfully as he reached for his gunblade and Digivice, "Let's do this. We're going with you. You'll need someone to drag your corpses home!"

"As long as you think you've still got the strength in you, old man!" Dunban joked.

"He probably won't. That's why I'll do it!" said Hawkmon, playing along with Dunban's humor.

"Oi, you guys!" Impmon shouted, "We were told to go back! We're leaving!"

Dunban slid his foot in front of Impmon, blocking him from proceeding any further. "Well I say you're coming with us!" he stated coolly as he knelt down to meet the fiendish creature eye-to-eye, "What would we do without you, Impmon?"

Suddenly, a large explosion detonated not too far from where the three soldiers and their Digimon partners were hiding. A soldier from the troop unit that Dickson led to the field moments ago quickly informed them that the second wave of Mechon forces were approaching. Dickson emerged from behind the Mechon body part, with Hawkmon hovering right next to him. "It's now or never, Dunban," Dickson said encouragingly, "Let's show them what we've got."

"We'll give them a warm Homs and Digimon welcome!" Monadmon cheered excitedly.

Dunban revealed himself from his hiding spot and determinedly replied, "Acknowledged."

As the four headed off into the battlefield, Mumkhar and Impmon stayed behind the broken Mechon part, peering around the corner and sneering at the soldiers and Digimon that seemed to almost enjoy putting their lives in danger. "What're they trying to prove?!" Mumkhar asked himself with exasperation, "I'm not throwing my life away! No point dying in some godforsaken field."

"Nothing for it!" Impmon agreed.

"I'll have to use Dunban as a decoy. That should give me time to escape!"

The hulking soldier and his Digimon partner followed after the others, bearing witness to the countless troops that were dying for the Homs colonies and for the sake of the Bionis. One after another, the Mechon forces seemed to be diminishing. The Homs were finally turning the battle around, all thanks to Dunban, Dickson, Mumkhar, and their Digimon partners.

Once Mumkhar and Impmon reached the others, a huge wave of Mechon began to approach. There were too many for comfort, and certainly too many to count. As he looked in sheer horror, Mumkhar muttered, "You've got to be kidding!"

"It's their main force," Dickson informed, "Looks like the Mechon are hell-bent on taking us out."

"They'll have to be if they want to beat us," Dunban replied with a hint of eagerness, "Now, let's even the odds a bit." The long-haired warrior shone his Digivice, which glowed a beautiful shade between magenta and indigo.

"You heard him."

Dunban looked at Monadmon, and in that split second, they knew exactly what the other was thinking. Monadmon let out a burst of magenta-indigo energy which began to surround the other five, and with that, the warriors and their Digimon partners charged headlong into the field of battle.

Mumkhar and Impmon ran towards a giant mantis-like Mechon. The brute soldier slashed at the sickle-armed machine furiously, while Impmon further burned the pieces with tiny fireballs that shot out of his fingers. Meanwhile, Dickson and Hawkmon were evading a swarm of Mechon of their own. As Dickson shot at the soulless beings, Hawkmon threw the feather on his head as if it were a boomerang. Everything seemed to have been turned in their favor. The Homs forces had the upper hand… but not for long. Dickson then noticed Dunban atop a pile of Mechon scrap metal, encased in what appeared to be electricity, and struggling to stand up. Dickson called out to him and rushed to his aid, with Hawkmon already having landed on the mound to see what was wrong. As Dickson climbed the pile of metal junk, a humanoid Mechon paled it's long, sharp scythes into the sturdy man's back. The warrior cried out in pain, then yanked the blades from his back and blew the Mechon to pieces.

Worried for his safety, Hawkmon inquired, "Dickson, are you seriously hurt?"

Dickson bellowed a reassuring grunt, then answered, "Don't worry, Hawkmon. I ain't going down that easily!" The blond-haired man then rested his hand on Dunban's shoulder. "Dunban! You all right?!"

The dark-haired soldier knelt on one knee, grinning with reassurance. "What does it look like?" he asked, "I'm still good to go!"

"Still got some fight in ya, then? Right, let's get you down from here. Hawkmon! Think you can give us a hand?"

"Not a problem, Dickson!" the bird-like Digimon replied as he helped his Homs partner carry the valiant warrior down from the pile of destroyed Mechon.

Not too far off, Mumkhar looked on at the warrior who was just barely alive, thanks to Dickson and Hawkmon. "Guess even a hero's gotta reach his limit eventually," said the brash soldier as he and his Digimon partner ran towards the Mechon stronghold, known to the Homs forces as Galahad Fortress.

"Mumkhar?!" Dunban exclaimed in disbelief, "What are you doing?! That way is–"

"Sorry, brothers!" yelled Mumkhar, "Hate to drop this on you, but it's Monadmon they're after. So have fun keepin' 'em occupied for me! I'm gettin' the hell outta here!"

They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Dickson clenched his fist as his once brother-in-arms ran off and bellowed, "Mumkhar, you dirty…"

"Eh, don't worry," Impmon called out as he was beginning to follow his Homs partner, "We'll organize your funerals! Well, see ya boys!"

"Wait!" Dunban pleaded, but it was no use. Mumkhar and Impmon were gone.

Just then, another huge wave of Mechon approached the front line of soldiers. Hundreds of mechanical beings were charging at the Homs soldiers as both forces clashed with each other. After losing their long-time comrade, and with the critical condition Dunban appeared to be in, Dickson knew that there was not much else they could do.

"If this is a joke, it ain't funny," he said, "Looks like this is it. At least we know our luck can't get any worse from here…"

Suddenly, Dunban stood up, clenching his Digivice in his right hand. Bewildered, Dickson looked at him, wondering what he could possibly be doing.

"Dickson, Hawkmon, take care of the survivors," ordered the strong soldier.

"Dunban, what are you playing at?!" asked Dickson as Dunban and Monadmon exchanged glances of eagerness. These expressions showed as clear as day that they had a burning passion to win this war. As Monadmon enchanted his comrades with the magenta-indigo aura, he readied his swords of light.

"Vile Mechon!" bellowed Dunban, "If you think the Homs, the people of Bionis, are just waiting here for you to pick us off… you are sorely mistaken!"

Dunban and Monadmon charged towards the opposing Mechon forces, with Dickson and Hawkmon following closely behind. The war between the Homs and Mechon was just beginning.


	2. Chapter One - Unlocking the Power

**Chapter One – Unlocking the Power**

One year after the events of Sword Valley, all seemed at peace for the residents of the Homs colonies. Daily life had continued without strife or worry about another Mechon invasion. The air was crisp and cool, the grass grew greener over the course of the year, and it seemed as if the overall feel of the atmosphere made a turn for the better after the Homs Military Forces succeeded in the war.

This was one of those beautiful days that made young Shulk eager to look for some spare parts to make more weapons for the Defense Force. Shulk, an 18 year-old boy from Colony 9, was a thoughtful and methodical young man in his approach on many things. He loved nothing more than spending time in the Weapons Lab researching the secrets behind the power of Monadmon and how other Digimon were able to appear in the world. When he was not in the Lab, however, he would go out to the Mechon Wreckage Site just northwest of the colony to find any spare Mechon parts that he might be able to use to help Dickson create better weapons. Unfortunately for Shulk, Dickson happened to be a traveler, scoping out different areas of Bionis and bringing back new supplies and information, so he was seldom present in Colony 9.

On this particular day, Shulk knew that there would be more Mechon scrap metal that would have fallen down from the Mechonis. He decided to go to the wreckage site, finding many new parts that were not available to him before.

"A Mechon M71!" he exclaimed, "I bet I can use it's optical system to align one of the Anti-Air Batteries…"

As he analyzed the damaged Mechon, Shulk realized that the machine was not in the best condition. "No good, it's broken," he mumbled, "The joint section… it's buckled." Shulk stretched his arms outward, letting out a sigh of defeat as he fell backwards to the ground and groaned, "It's completely useless."

The scenery was quite beautiful from Shulk's eyes. In the sky, he could see the white cotton clouds move at a snail's pace. Cloud watching always took Shulk's mind off of things that worried him, such as having enough gold to buy food, or losing all of his research data into the Digimon. None of these, however, worried him more than his childhood friend, Fiora. Shulk cared about Fiora more than anybody, though he had always been sort of afraid to admit it to anyone. As they were the same age, Fiora was one of the only friends Shulk ever had, which in turn, caused him to have strong feelings for her. Fiora was very kind, always thinking of Shulk and bringing him lunch whenever she made it. She was an excellent cook, and Shulk truly appreciated her bringing him food unexpectedly, but his mind was always processing numerous thoughts at the same time, causing him to not really focus on how the food tasted. This always gave Fiora a false sense of insecurity, thinking that Shulk would say the food tasted good even if it was ice cold. While Shulk really did think that Fiora's cooking tasted delicious, he could not deny the fact that there were some things he just could not stand to eat. In particular, Shulk despised vegetables. Dickson was careful not to buy too many of them when he and Shulk would eat together, knowing how Shulk would cringe at the sight of the organic edibles. When Fiora made vegetables, however, Shulk would eat them without complaint. Part of the reason for this was that he was always afraid that if he made Fiora very unhappy in any way, he would lose her. The other part of the reason happened to be because Dunban would scold him for refusing to eat a meal that Fiora worked so hard to make. It was a well-known fact that Fiora was Dunban's little sister, and so many of the colony folk knew of her, sometimes going out of their way to greet her or tell her how pretty her hair looked.

Shulk knew that he would never do anything to let Fiora or the colony folk down. There was not much he could do in his current state other than help Dickson in his weapon forging and Digimon research, but he knew that he would jump at the opportunity to be of great help when the time presented itself. As he pondered these thoughts, Shulk tilted his head to the left, feeling the blowing grass brush against his cheek. There in front of him rested a small dragonfly on a flower. Shulk focused on the dragonfly, thinking about how it merely needs it's instinctual will to survive. Homs contained so many complexities in their way of life, yet they all had that same instinct. That alone allowed this dragonfly and it's species to live for as long as it had. Was this the answer to the way all living beings lived? How have organisms, such as these dragonflies, paused in their mental and social evolution? Why did the Homs advance so far to create their way of living?

Just then, Shulk notices a faint shimmer of light reflecting off of a metal surface. He looks past the winged insect, only to find more Mechon parts.

"An M69!" Shulk beamed with excitement as he rushed over to the scrap metal, "It's armor would be perfect for making a shield! If I can just get it off, I should be able to…"

As Shulk struggled to lift the Mechon armor up, the rock which it was attached to began to rattle. Shulk falls back in astonishment, fearing that perhaps the Mechon was not deactivated after all. With no weapon to fend for himself, Shulk was helpless against the rattling Mechon. Suddenly, a voice calls out to him.

"Shulk!" yelled a large man with a Defense Force driver. The man bashed his driver against the Mechon armor, causing it to fly back and hit the large rock formation that encased the wreckage site.

Shulk looked in relief, as it was his best friend, Reyn. Many of the colony residents knew Shulk, Fiora, and Reyn as an inseparable trio of friends. Reyn was a soldier in the Colony 9 Defense Force, and at 18 years-old, he stood as one of the youngest recruits. Reyn was huge, easily towering over Shulk and Fiora and just passing Dunban in height, not to mention his muscular build was closely comparable to that of Mumkhar's. While Reyn was a fun-loving joker and contained an easily-ignitable temper, he was courageous and very protective of Shulk and Fiora, often acting as a protector to both of them. Numerous children in the colony saw Reyn's integrity and friendship with Shulk and Fiora as very admirable, with Dunban stating that Reyn possessed "camaraderie."

And it was one of these moments when Shulk was very happy that Reyn was a young man of camaraderie.

With the Mechon armor knocked off, the rock on which it was attached to continued to rattle, but not as violently as it initially had been. Just then, the rock sprouted claws and legs from underneath, with two eyes poking out from beneath.

"Reyn!" Shulk said in relief, "It's not a Mechon! It's just a Krabble. It was using the Mechon armor as a shell!"

"Let's not bother it, then," Reyn ordered, "Just let it go. These things won't attack if they don't feel threatened."

"Good idea. Let's get out of here."

As the two escaped, Shulk grabbed the armor that the Krabble had used as a shell. When they ventured far enough away from the giant hermit crab, they decided to stop and catch their breath.

"Thanks, Reyn," said Shulk, "That was a close one."

Reyn, thankful that Shulk was not hurt, crossed his arms. "Man, what were you doing wandering off by yourself?" he reprimanded, "Stay where I can keep an eye on you. It's pretty dangerous outside of the colony. There are all kinds of monsters."

"Yeah…" Shulk lifted up the Mechon armor, examining it with awe. "But thanks to you, we got it's shell! Everyone in the colony's going to be really happy!"

"I'm more worried about you than the shell," Reyn groaned as he scratched his head, "Ah… whatever. Knowing what you're like, at least you'll make a decent weapon out of it." He patted the Defense Force driver on his back, "This Scrap Driver is excellent!"

"Glad you think so! I just learned by watching Dickson make weapons," Shulk admitted, "but I don't think there's any weapon that can be of greater use in battle than a Digimon."

"You got that right!" Reyn whole-heartedly agreed with a fist pump.

"I've seen Dickson practice with Hawkmon… even without his weapon, they're almost unbeatable when they fight alongside each other!"

"'Course, Dunban's Digimon still beats 'em all."

"Monadmon…" Shulk thoughtfully chanted, "I hope I can figure out the secret of his power one day."

"You will, Shulk!" Reyn encouraged as he patted Shulk on the back, "Anyway, we'd better get back to the colony. If I'm late for drills again, old Square-tache is gonna kill me!"

"Square-tache?" Shulk tilted his head in question, "Oh, the Defense Force Colonel… he's pretty scary!"

"Tell me about it…" Reyn grumbled.

"Sorry… I didn't mean for you to come all the way out here during your break."

"Don't worry about it! Let's get back."

Walking back to the colony reminded Shulk of the many times that he and Reyn would come out to the wreckage site to play when they were younger. Often times, they would meet a man named Werner, who happened to examine different things in the area. While he help up a residency in Colony 9, there was a bit of a dull feeling in his eye, a feel to him which stated that he wanted to explore the world… or at least move somewhere else. Shulk wondered where Werner might be today, but gave it little more thought after Reyn interrupted his train of thought with one of his colony-famous puns. Most people grew weary of the jokes and puns that Reyn told in an almost automated fashion, but Shulk enjoyed them like a Bunniv would enjoy a Chewy Radish.

The two friends finally reached the colony. Everything was in it's place and brimming along with the beautiful day. Shulk thoughtfully gazed over at Dunban's house, which sat right at the main entrance to the colony. _I wonder if Fiora is at home right now_, Shulk wondered. _Maybe when I'm done with my work for the day, I'll stop by and see how she and Dunban are doing…_ Reyn, once again, interrupted his train of thought, "Here we are. I'd better stop in at HQ. You off to the Weapon Development Lab?"

"Yeah," Shulk replied, "When I've sold any parts I can't use."

"All right. See you later."

Reyn hurried away as Shulk visited one of the local shops in the Commercial District. Shulk realized that he did not have any spare parts that he would be willing to sell, and left with a hint of disappointment. As he gathered his things, he was almost tripped by Narine and Paola, two ten year-old girls who were pretending to be Digimon tamers. Narine really liked Shulk, while Paola idolized Reyn, who would often fall victim to giving Paola a shoulder-back ride. They loved the attention from the kids, but the girls would often fight over which young man was better.

"I'll take you on with Gotsumon!" Shulk heard Narine say.

"What's a Gotsumon?" Paola asked.

"Gotsumon is a Digimon made of rocks! He can shoot rocks out of his head!"

"Made of rocks? Booooring! I'll use Guilmon! He looks like Monadmon, but he can breathe fire!"

"But Guilmon is a Virus-type, so he won't listen to you!"

"No! Guilmon will listen to me, because I'll make him be a good boy!"

"Well I like Agumon better, because he's more reliable than Guilmon!"

Shulk smiled as he listened to the girls play in their Digimon fantasy world. Ever since Dunban and Monadmon led the Homs armies to victory at the Battle of Sword Valley, all the children in the colony idolized Dunban and Monadmon for their acts of valor. Soon, word spread about there being more creatures like Monadmon, resulting in mass-produced merchandise of the known Digimon. With Shulk deep into research on the origins of Digimon, he always told Narine and Paola about his discoveries, giving them pictures of new Digimon whenever he would get them.

Paola, after a few minutes of being oblivious to Shulk's presence, looked over and saw him. "Narine, look!" she pointed to the blonde-haired youth, "Shulk's back!"

Narine beamed with excitement. "Yay! Shulk's back!"

The girls ran over and hugged him, their heads barely making it to the bottom of his rib cage. "We missed you, Shulk!" Narine said as she jumped up and down.

Shulk let out a joyful chuckle as he said, "I was only gone for a few hours!"

"Did you find any new Digimon?" Narine asked with eagerness.

"Yeah, did you?" Paola added.

"Well," Shulk began as he reached for a few pictures, "I did discover this one." He handed the two a picture of a green Digimon who looked like a slug. "This is Numemon," he explained, "This Digimon lives in dark and damp environments."

"Like an underwater cave?" Narine asked.

"Actually… more like the sewers." Shulk admitted sheepishly.

"Eww, he's gross!" Narine whined.

"And ugly." Paola groaned in disgust.

Shulk's eyes lit up with promise. "That's not all!" He handed the girls another picture of an orange and beige-colored Digimon with large wings for ears. "This one is Patamon. It's a Digimon that is said to contain enormous potential. In my discoveries, I found that there were energy readings from it that matched with some of the holy energy readings that I found early on. They may be connected somehow."

The girls' eyes lit up with amazement as they looked at the picture of the tiny Digimon. "Wow! He's so cool!" Narine exclaimed aloud.

"I wish I had a Patamon!" Paola beamed.

Narine looked up at Shulk with wonder. "Hey Shulk?"

"Yes?" Shulk replied.

"Do Digimon change?"

"What do you mean by that, Narine?"

"I heard Dunban say that Dickson said that Digimon could change into stronger Digimon. Do they change into stronger Digimon, Shulk?"

Shulk remembered Dickson saying that Digimon were from a Digital World. In this sense, they were comprised of data. Dickson further explained that the data of a Digimon may be able to be reconfigured to change them into a completely different Digimon. The thought was still only a theory, but all of it made sense to Shulk.

"I remember Dickson saying that, too," Shulk admitted, "though we aren't sure of it quite yet. When we find out, I'll let both of you know first, okay?"

Even though it was unconfirmed information, it was enough to set Narine and Paola in an excited state.

"Wow, that so cool!" Paola cheered.

Narine looked at the picture of Patamon. "I wonder what Patamon will change into?"

Paola clenched her fists in excitement. "I bet he'll turn into a beautiful Flamii!"

"I think he'll turn into an angel."

"An angel? That doesn't make any sense!"

"But he has wings! And Shulk said he has holy power!"

"But that doesn't mean he'll turn into an angel! Flamiis have wings too, you know!"

Shulk chuckled with happiness as he saw how interested the girls were with his Digimon discoveries. All the talk about Digimon, however, suddenly made Shulk realize that he had to get to the Lab. He packed his things and waved to the girls. "Sorry you two, but I have to go. I'll be sure to look into whether or not Digimon can evolve. See you both later!"

The girls waved back, pictures in each of their hands. "Bye Shulk!" both of them called out.

Shulk passed through the Commercial District and right by the Gem Man's Stall. At last, he made it to the Fortress Entrance, which led straight to the training grounds for the Colony 9 Defense Force and the Weapon Development Lab. The stunning silence of the colony was broken by a loud voice that could be heard from all the way in the Residential District.

"YOU IDIOTS! What the hell are you playing at?!"

Shulk looked over to see Colonel Vangarre, the Colony 9 Defense Force Colonel, harshly reprimanding two Defense Force soldiers. _Uh oh! _Shulk thought to himself. _The colonel's going to explode…_

"Crashing the mobile artillery into a house?! How long have you been in the force?!"

Sorry, Sir," stuttered the first soldier, "It's just that we were trying to go as fast as we could, like you ordered…"

"But it's impossible to get back to the Military District in only 40 seconds." Explained the second soldier.

"I don't want any excuses!" Colonel Vangarre yelled, "Champions don't whine, they win!"

"Yes, Sir…" both soldiers agreed.

"You're a DISGRACE to the uniform! Are you forgetting the shame you brought on this force during joint maneuvers with Colony 6?! Stick your back into it, maggots! MOVE IT!" with each word, the Colonel sounded more and more explosive.

"Yes, Sir…" both soldiers replied.

"Get the artillery back to the Military District, double time! Then, I want a MILLION press-ups from BOTH OF YOU! And you better not stop until your biceps EXPLODE!"

"Colonel, we can't move the artillery…" said the second soldier with apparent fear in his voice.

"WHAT?! You'd better give a DAMN good reason why!" commanded Colonel Vangarre as he trembled with anger.

"Sir!" began the first soldier, "The impact of the crash damaged the ether conduction cable! The ether fuel proceeded to leak out and now the cylinder is empty!"

"WELL, CHANGE THE CYLINDER THEN!" the Colonel explosively demanded, "Can't you even do something as simple as THAT?!"

"The auxiliary cylinders have been used up," the second soldier piped in, "It'll be three days until more come in, Sir."

"I told you to keep a stock of fuel in reserve!"

"Sorry, Sir…"

"YOU'RE NOTHING BUT SLACKERS!"

Just then, Colonel Vangarre reached back and paled his fist into the face of the second soldier. The poor soldier flew back into one of the mobile tanks that the Defense Force used for combat. The impact of both the punch and the knockback created loud, clanging sounds that reverberated throughout the entire Military District. _Same old colonel…_ Shulk thought with exasperation,_ at this rate, the men will all be dead before they see any action._

In the lab, Shulk gazed upon the Digivice that Dunban used to tame Monadmon. Digivices were capable of containing the tamer's Digimon partner inside of them, which was useful when the Digimon required time to regain their energy. Connected to the Digivice was a cable that ran to a monitor, showing Monadmon in a dormant state, as well as his vital signs and energy readings. Shulk was pleased to see that the crimson-colored Digimon was just as he had left him. A mere few seconds after entering the lab, Shulk hears a voice behind him say, "Alright, Shulk. How are you?" Shulk looked back to see a tall, middle-aged man with long, blonde hair in a braid. He wore a red headband and a blue leather jacket that he kept unbuttoned.

"Dickson!" Shulk's voice cracked when he exclaimed his name, "When did you get back to Colony 9?"

Dickson stood up from his seat, with Hawkmon landing on the floor right next to him. "Just now," the towering man replied, "I see you've been busy. Looks like your research into Monadmon has been going well."

"We made the right choice leaving you in charge." Hawkmon said.

Shulk nodded. "Your research notes really helped."

Dickson gazed intently at the monitor displaying Monadmon. "So you can activate it now, then?"

"Well… anyone can activate the Digivice. The problem is _controlling Monadmon_."

"Yeah… for everyone except _him_."

"Yes…" Shulk pondered aloud, "If anyone other than Dunban were able to tame Monadmon, we could surpass any military force in the world!"

"You think so?" Dickson inquired as he looked at some of the notes taken by Shulk while he was gone, "What are these hidden functions you mention?"

Shulk peered at the monitor. "It's still only conjecture, but it's starting to look like Monadmon might be something far more significant than just a Digimon who happens to be able to damage Mechon armor."

"I see…" Dickson processed the notion, "and the evidence to support your theory?"

Shulk flipped to a page in his notes that explained his research on the centerpiece on Monadmon's torso. "It's the symbol that appears in the center when it's activated," he explained, "What I know is, this central piece is made from multilayered glass. The symbol appears on the top layer. And each layer is constructed differently."

"So it's possible that other symbols could appear on different layers, right?" Hawkmon wondered, "Which means… Monadmon might conceal even more power. Am I right?"

Shulk nodded in confirmation to Hawkmon's theory. As he extended his arm out and touched the Digivice, he pondered, "If we could just unlock his power…"

Suddenly, Shulk began to have a flashback of when the war was over, and the medical transportation ships from Colony 6 were transporting the Colony 9 soldiers back. Shulk never forgot that day, for it was the day Dunban and Dickson had returned from the war.

Screams and cries could be heard everywhere as the medical soldiers rushed to tend to the injured and transport them to the headquarters. Mothers and fathers, wives and children, friends and family all rushed towards their dearly beloved, tears and cries of happiness filling the area around everyone. In the midst of all the commotion, Fiora and Shulk were following the stretcher that was carrying Dunban.

"Dunban! Dunban!" Fiora cried.

Colonel Vangarre's voice could be heard, piercing through all the other noise that rained upon the colony. "Prioritize the most severely injured!" he ordered, "Come on! Get a move on!"

Shulk looked at the valiant soldier, the pressures and weight of war having visibly taken a toll on him. "Dunban!" Shulk called out.

Dunban lightly coughed, looking up at both of them. "Don't look like that," he hoarsely pleaded, "I haven't gone yet…" He tilted his head to the left, calling on Shulk, who lowered his head to hear what Dunban had to say.

"It was Monadmon. His power was… controlling me…" the warrior could barely make out his words, due to how dry his voice was, "Even so… he saved us… saved our future. Monadmon saved us all… next, it will be up to you…"

Shulk looked upon as the medical soldiers took Dunban away on the stretcher, with Fiora following close. _Next… it will be up to me?_ Shulk had no idea what Dunban was talking about. How could he do anything with a Digimon that not even one of the strongest soldiers in the Defense Force, both in strength and spirit, could tame? Dunban's words haunted Shulk. He looked back into the Colony 6 transporter carrier, where he saw a soldier come out with the Digivice containing Monadmon. The soldier handed it to Shulk, who looked upon it with wonder as he attempted to elicit the meaning behind Dunban's words to him.

Remembering the events from a year ago, Shulk muttered, "Dunban…"

Peering outside, Dickson placed Shulk's notes back on the desk, letting out a tired and reluctant sigh. "Well, I'd better get the supplies delivered to the Defense Force," he announced, "I'll drop 'round the HQ and see how they're gettin' on."

"Okay then," Shulk replied, "I'll see you later."

Dickson and Hawkmon exchanged glances, while the former lowered and shook his head. Both of them turned around and shot an unimpressed look at Shulk. "Shulk, you're spending too much time in the lab," Dickson remarked, "Either that or rummaging for junk in the scrap yard. It ain't healthy for a kid your age."

"That's why you're always looking so pasty," Hawkmon added, "You should get out, get some fresh air once in a while."

"Hawkmon!" Dickson groaned as he threw his arms up.

"What? You said those very words to me on our way here." Hawkmon retorted.

Dickson scratched his head in guilt. "Well… I can't deny that," he admitted, "All right, we're off."

Shulk decided that Dickson was right. The weather was simply amazing outside, and he could only imagine what it would be like at Outlook Park, the hang out spot looking over the colony that he, Reyn, and Fiora always went to. He began to gather his things, but decided to set everything down when he realized that Dickson was subliminally stating that Shulk was over-working himself. With that, he set off for Outlook Park, thinking about the words that Dunban had told him a year ago.


	3. Chapter Two - Always Together

**Chapter Two – Always Together**

The radiant sunlight and peaceful weather continued on into the prime of the day, as Fiora prepared lunch for Dunban and herself. Dunban, however, was unaware of the time, instead focusing on his right arm.

During the Battle of Sword Valley, the Digivice that Dunban had used to tame Monadmon began to overpower Dunban as a result of Monadmon's power. While Monadmon meant no malice towards Dunban, the overwhelming energy cost Dunban the use of his dominant arm. A large scar ran all the way up to his shoulder, bearing strange grooves where the damage was done and almost resembling electricity or flames. For the past year, the refined warrior could typically be found tending to his arm, analyzing how he might be able to still make use of it despite it's condition. What kind of power could Monadmon possibly contain that was able to render Dunban's right arm nearly useless? Was he really fit to tame the mysterious red Digimon?

These thoughts of his were interrupted by the somewhat shrill voice of his sister calling out to him. "Dunban, are you awake yet?" Fiora called.

As she walked up the steps of their humble two-story abode, Dunban looked on in slight surprise and joy. Bellowing a slight chuckle, Dunban inquired, "Is it time to eat already? You didn't have to bring it yourself. You could have just called me."

"Don't be silly!" Fiora insisted as she set the tray holding his meal onto the night stand, "Do you want me to feed you?"

"Don't treat me like an invalid," Dunban, fearing he may be a burden to Fiora, replied reassuringly, "I'm better than I was a year ago."

"Much better," Fiora's joyful tone matched her smile. "I really thought I lost you back then…" she added as her tone shifted to that of concern.

"Yes," Dunban agreed, "but now I'm almost well enough to fight alongside Monadmon again."

The sound of her brother's words sent Fiora's heart racing. After almost losing him to the power of the mysterious Digimon, Fiora could almost not stand the thought of Dunban trying to tame Monadmon again. In a sudden rush of surprise and confusion, Fiora leaned over the bed and shot Dunban a look of incredulity. "Dunban, the Mechon have gone now!" she pleaded with an exasperated sigh, "Why would you say that?!"

Dunban, realizing the pain Fiora was feeling from the thought of losing him, quickly found the words he had really meant to say, hoping that they would put her at ease. "I just mean I'm prepared. Sorry…" he apologetically dropped his voice.

"Okay," Fiora acknowledged, her joyful tone returning to her voice, "More importantly, eat up before it gets cold. I made something really special today!"

"Don't feel like you need to stay here then, Fiora. Go and make your next delivery."

Fiora tilted her head slightly, unsure of what her older brother had meant.

"Well, I'm sure you'd like Shulk to try some while it's still hot?" the man inquired.

Fiora slid down the side of the bed, clutching her folded legs to her chest. "That's okay… Shulk has no sense of taste," she droned with disappointment, "He'll say it's delicious even if it's stone cold…"

Despite his sister's melancholy demeanor, Dunban let out a surprisingly hearty chuckle as he reasoned, "In which case, today he would actually mean it."

As much as she wanted to believe it, Fiora could only partially agree with Dunban. Fiora could never be sure as to whether Shulk liked her cooking or not.

"I'm fine, Fiora," Dunban protested encouragingly, "Off you go."

Fiora knew she could not argue with Dunban. Perhaps he was right about Shulk. Maybe Shulk would really think the food that Fiora prepared was delicious. When it came to social situations, Dunban was mostly correct in many key aspects, even without his war hero title backing him up. Dunban was twelve years older than her, and took care of her for most of their lives together after their father had been killed by a Mechon years ago. Dunban was not only Fiora's older brother, but also a parental guardian figure. They were the only family they had left.

Pondering how insightful her brother was, Fiora turned around and said, "Dunban… thanks." She then proceeded to hurry down the stairs to carry a meal over to Shulk.

The valiant warrior smiled as he watched his sister eagerly rush down to make her delivery. As he reached over to scoop some of the soup into his spoon, his right arm began to seize up, barely being able to hold the spoon. The reflective silverware dropped against the wool and linen floor mat as Dunban tended to his aching arm, easing the pain by firmly grasping it. As he focused on ridding himself of the sharp pain that shot through his limb, Dunban peered at the picture frame on his night stand which contained a picture of himself, Dickson, Mumkhar, Monadmon, Hawkmon, and Impmon during their days in the military force. The memories of those days gone by gave Dunban a feeling of bold determination, feeling that he must not let the colony down if anything were to happen. "I'm not finished yet…" he murmured, "I have to be prepared to fight alongside Monadmon again."

Fiora, after making sure that every portion of the meal was packed into the lunch box, headed out the door. As she stepped outside to the cool breeze and brightly-lit rays of sunshine, she noticed Dickson and Hawkmon approaching the house. Dickson and Hawkmon regularly came to visit Dunban, especially when the war had just ended. After having suffered the injuries and ailments that he had, Dunban was seldom seen outside of his house so that he could recover in a more timely fashion. Due to this, Dunban would have his friends and Fiora's friends come and visit him. Many families of the comrades that Dunban fought alongside with often brought their young children or friends to pay respect to the war hero, while regular visitors such as Dickson and Reyn would be more casual, with the former bringing a deck of playing cards for the three of them to play. Shulk, on the other hand, would either sit at the dinner table across from Fiora while he toyed with some of his food as he lost himself deep in thought, or he would watch with Fiora as the other three skewered each other at famous household card games.

During this time, however, Dickson was more partial to sharing some of his and Shulk's discoveries into the Digimon. The tall blonde-haired man spotted the petit sister of his long-time friend and called out to her. Fiora responded with a jubilant smile that few colony folk ever lost the memory of.

"Looks like you're in a hurry," Dickson observed, "Where are you off to?"

"I just thought I'd take Shulk some food," Fiora replied as she held up the lunch box containing Shulk's lunch, "I'm on my way to the lab."

"Shulk's not there right now," Hawkmon informed her, "We just sent him out to get some fresh air. I trust you will know where he went?"

"Outlook Park!" the answer was all too obvious to Fiora.

"That's the one!" Dickson confirmed.

"Okay. Thanks, Dickson!" Fiora sang as she skipped off to Outlook Park.

On her way, Fiora could not help but notice how eager Dunban seemed when he stated that he would be prepared to tame Monadmon again if the time presented itself. Dunban simply seemed too reckless and hungry for a good old-fashioned fight that she almost had a slight feeling of distaste for Digimon for the very matter that Monadmon almost cost Dunban his life. The red reptilian Digimon might have something to do with how her brother is always professing that he is ready to fight if the colony needs it, but was there something more? Whenever she would see Dunban and Monadmon training together, they almost seemed like brothers. It was as if they were the tightest-knit warriors on Bionis. Even in spite of this, however, what she could not understand about this bond that they shared was that Digimon were merely comprised of data. How in the world could the Digimon have sentience if they are just computer data? This was all very troublesome for young Fiora as she made her way up the steps that led to Outlook Park.

Reaching the end of the flight of stairs, Fiora looked over at a bench under a tree to find Shulk, sitting alone and appearing to be deep in thought. _Oh Shulk,_ she thought, _is there ever a moment when you're not thinking about your studies into the Digimon?_

She felt rather biased in thinking this about him, but at the same time, she was not wrong in her assumption, for Shulk truly was pondering deep thoughts in a somewhat intense manner. The blonde-haired boy huffed in a relaxed manner as he hunched over on the bench. _Monadmon… he's the only Digimon – and the only being existing right now – who is capable of damaging Mechon armor,_ he thought to himself, _they say that before time began, he was tamed by the Bionis. The same Bionis that we all live on. He must have a secret… that's how Dunban was able to tame him and destroy so many Mechon together… and why he lost the use of his right arm._ Shulk looked at the palm of his hand as if he were holding Monadmon's Digivice as he always did when wondering about his power. _If I can just unlock the secret of his power…_

Just then, Fiora approached Shulk, her soft yet raspy voice piercing his train of thought as she called out to him.

"Fiora!" Shulk was very pleased to see her.

"I brought you some lunch," she sang as she held up the lunch box containing the food, "We had plenty left over, so I thought you'd like to try some!"

Shulk's eyes widened with happiness as he said, "Thank you!" He opened the lunch box to find a full-size sandwich and a container of soup. Though Fiora couldn't tell, Shulk's taste buds were already preparing themselves for the delectable meal that he was so fortunate to have been given. As he sunk his teeth into the sandwich, his senses stimulate, reacting to the flavor of the food. "This is great," he exclaimed with his mouth half-full, "It tastes so good!"

Fiora leaned over, excited that Shulk complimented her cooking, though she didn't get her hopes up. "Really?" she asked with every bit of eagerness in her voice.

Shulk nodded, giving her a look that told her to not doubt herself. "It's amazing!" he stated.

"Oh, Shulk…" Fiora sighed, knowing that she shouldn't have been eager to hear differently from him, "you say that every day."

"Not quite," Shulk began as he finished up the portion of food he was currently consuming, "It's always delicious, but today it's amazing."

"Really?" Fiora's eyes filled with heartfelt joy.

"Yeah."

"Thank goodness! I used some special herbs and spices today. So if you said it was just the same as usual, I'd know for sure you had no sense of taste!" she shot a playful glare at him.

"What?" Shulk was confused at what Fiora just said.

"Oh, nothing." Fiora smiled, failing at hiding her flushed face.

The two sat beside each other, looking up at the sky and feeling the calming weather around them. Fiora let out a sigh of content as she said, "The breeze feels so good…"

"Yeah," Shulk mumbled thoughtfully, "I'd forgotten what it feels like. I never thought it could be so quiet here."

Fiora shot him a teasingly playful smile. "You're spending too much time with Reyn," her voice skipped a bit as she lightly chuckled while saying that, "You're getting used to all the noise he makes."

"Yeah, maybe," Shulk humorously agreed. They both laughed at the thought of how loud of a person he was. Reyn, unlike most of the Colony 9 Defense Force, was a bit of a joker when it came to overall demeanor. This was fully evident in the puns he often made, as well as how dense-minded he happened to be.

Fiora let out another sigh, breathing in the wonderful air and letting it fill her lungs to their entirety. "It's so peaceful… you know, Shulk, I hope every day can be like this. Always."

The two smiled at each other, content in knowing that time spent with each other was so blissful. Being in each others' company made them feel as if they could just be who they are and not worry about any of the pressures that were thrust upon them. As Fiora thought of this, she remembered the time when she and Dunban had a falling-out, causing her to seek Shulk for comfort. She never forgot that night, and she only hoped that Shulk had not, either.

"Hey, Shulk…" she began, "You remember that time we watched the sunrise, right here? It was when we were quite young."

Shulk nodded. "Yeah, I remember. We came because you and Dunban had that fight and fell out with one another."

"Yeah…" Fiora muttered, "It wasn't pretty." She looked at him with a slight touch of worry in her eyes, remembering the emotional pain she felt when she and her older brother fought. "Really, it had nothing to do with you… but I still dragged you out and made you stay up all night!"

"I'm glad we did it, even though it was only that one time. We talked for hours and hours about all our hopes and dreams…" the blonde-haired youth turned and smiled at her. "And then you fell asleep on my arm as we looked up at the stars."

"OH NO!"

"What? What is it?"

Fiora could not believe what she was hearing. Of all the things she had hoped that he would forget, she wished for him to forget about the brief moments of friendly affection. Her heart pounded in her chest with the strength of a wild Ardun as she thought about what he might have recalled. _Oh, Shulk!_, she thought, _I have this terrible felling I said something really embarrassing… like… I wanted to marry him?!_ Fiora gathered her wits about herself, and stuttered, "Umm… Sh-Shulk? You don't… remember w-what I said b-back then, do you?"

Shulk pondered the memory. He was slightly unsure as to what Fiora could be referring to. A lot of words were said that night, most of it a result of the fight between her and Dunban. Shulk did not want her to think that he forgot things so easily, so he attempted to remember as best as he could. "Kind of… I can't quite put my finger on it…" he thought aloud, "Hold on, I know I'll get it…"

"Oh! Er… don't worry!" Fiora eagerly piped in, "No need to remember. Forget I even brought it up!" She felt her face transition from her slightly cream-tan complexion to a beet-red color. "Anyway, that's the end of that conversation! Let's talk about something else."

Shulk was bewildered. Not knowing how to respond – or whether he should push the answer out of her – he decided to go along with what she suggested. "Okay. Whatever you say, Fiora."

The golden-haired girl sighed with relief that she was able to change the subject before she could embarrass herself any further. _Yes! I think I pulled it off. He doesn't suspect a thing,_ she thought to herself, _I hope he remembers one day… but for now… it's just a bit too embarrassing!_

Fiora's train of thought was cut short by the sound of the debris siren. The two looked up and saw rusty metallic shards from the Mechonis falling towards the colony. The Anti-Air Batteries aligned themselves to aim directly at the falling pieces and blasted them to bits. Fiora thought it was strange to see debris falling now, considering there had been little falling. Shulk got up, picking up the lunch box that Fiora used to carry his food in.

"There might be more on the way," he stated, "The Anti-Air Batteries can't protect us out here. Let's get back to the lab."

"Okay." Fiora complied. She followed Shulk down the steps that led up to Outlook Park, thinking about how lucky she was to have a friend like him. As she glanced at her wonderful friend, she silently wished that he remembered what she had said that night.


End file.
